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HC finds football focus

11.07.08 Graeme Neill

HarperSport has signed two new football titles: a book by Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling and a “footballing Freakonomics”, both of which are due for publication next year.

Jellyman’s Thrown a Wobbly: Saturday Afternoons in Front of the Telly by Jeff Stelling is scheduled to be published next March. Jonathan Taylor, publishing director at Harper­Sport, bought world rights to the book from football agent Robert Segal at RSR for a modest five-figure sum.

Stelling is best known for hosting “Gillette Soccer Saturday” on Sky Sports. The title is from a famous quip Stelling made after Mansfield Town player Gareth Jellyman was sent off. “ ‘Soccer Saturday’ is just magic viewing,” Taylor said. “The book will re-create the ingredients of the show between the covers. It will be informative, funny, entertaining and slightly chaotic.”

In August 2009, HarperSport will also publish Why England Lose and Other Curious Phenomena Explained by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski. Taylor bought UK and Commonwealth rights to the title from Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown in an auction of around eight publishers for a high five-figure sum. Described as “footballing Freakonomics”, the book will use economic research to examine various aspects of the game.

Media HarperCollins Rights deal Graeme Neill HarperSport

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